A healthy mind needs a healthy body. One of the common deficiencies in children is of Vitamin D. It is important to understand that growth starts from when the baby is in the womb. The mother-to-be should ensure she has balanced and nutritious meals, to ensure proper growth of the baby. Even after birth and throughout life adequate levels of Vitamin D is essential.
Deficiency of normal levels of Vitamin D in kids can lead to rickets, a disease that causes softening of bones and skeletal abnormalities. The condition is normally coupled with Calcium deficiency in the blood and can lead to deformity, severe heart problems and other painful conditions.
The deficiency in the baby can be avoided by the mother having a healthy, nutritious and balanced diet. Many questions arise as to what this deficiency causes, its symptoms, risks, treatment etc. Learning all about this deficiency is a key factor in helping prevent it. Here is how and why of Vitamin D deficiency in kids.
Vitamin D for kids is vital for your child’s development and is available in nature in the form of early morning sunlight.
A deficiency of Vitamin D can lead to –
Causes of Vitamin D deficiency in kids are –
Common signs and symptoms of Vitamin D deficiency in kids are –
Food is the main source of minerals, vitamins, proteins etc. for a growing child. Hence a balanced diet with proper vitamins and minerals is very important to keep any health-risk away. An indicative list of Vitamin D rich foods is given below.
Vitamin D deficiency can be mild or severe. Treatment and the dosage depend on whether such deficiency of normal Vitamin D levels in kids is mild or severe. A paediatrician should be consulted.
Recommended dosage as per age for Vitamin D:
Treatment for Vitamin D deficiency in kids should be done as per the degree of severity of the deficiency and on the advice of a paediatrician.
During further studies on a batch of 500 critically ill children, deficiency in the Vitamin D, was more likely to cause the child to be sicker and have longer hospital stays. Based on their research, The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recommends that children over the age of 1 get 600 international units (IU) of the vitamin daily.
Prevention is always better than cure. Learning how to prevent such deficiencies in kids is essential. Here is how we can do this and give the child a healthy future.
Vitamin D is essential for bone health and the overall development of your child. It is important that you consult your doctor if you notice any signs of Vitamin D deficiency in your child and get timely remedies.